Disk or lid feeding and inserting device



Jan. 21, 1930. c. TAYLOR DISK 0R LID FQEDING AND IiiSERTING DEVICE Filed June 30. 1926 2 Sheets-$heet 1 JanQZl, 1930. c. TAYLOR 1,744,178

DISK 0R LID FEEDING AND INSERTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 50. 1926 Patented Jan. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISK OR LID FEEDING AND INSERTING DEVICE Application filed June 30, 1926, Serial No. 119,713, and in Great Britain May 26, 1926.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for separating disks from a pile thereof and inserting them into cups or containers. 7 The invention has been 5 particularly designed for separating and inserting the lids of containers such as now largely used for ice cream and like materials, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 2- Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the improved apparatus ready to commence the operation,

Fig. 2 a similar view showing the parts in the position they occupy while the lid is being inserted, and

Fig. 3 a plan view of the general arrangement.

Fig. 4; is a detail elevation partly in section of the cams 22 and 7 andtheir connections.

0 In these drawings it will be seen that a magazine 1 is provided for the lids 2, such magazine being open at its lower end so that the lids placed therein rest on the points 3 and 4: of the slide or feed finger 5. The latter is capable of being reciprocated by any suitable means, as for instance that shown comprising a lever 6 pivoted to the slide 5 and to a suitable point on the frame of the machine and operated by means of a cam 7 on driving '0 shaft 8. 7

It will be seen that the slide 5 is formed with a depression between the points 3 and 4 which support the lid, the object of this being to prevent any possible curvature in the material of which such lid is composed from interfering with its being properly fed forward.

Such slide 5 also has a slightly raised portion 9 immediately behind the point a in the direction of its movement, this being only of suiiicient height to engage the lowermost lid of the pile without coming in contact with the next.

The lower end of the magazine 1 is cut away half round as shown at 10, to enable the lid to pass out when acted on by the slide 5. The formation of the depression between the points 3 and 4 of slide 5 is of particular advantage when as sometimes happens a disk is bent and its lower surface is convex. In such a case if the depression were not formed the raised portion 9 of the slide might almost or entirely miss the edge of the disk and so fail to feed it forward properly, while also the forward edge of the disk (if the latter has been acted on by the portion 9) might catch on the cut away portion of the maga- Zine at 10. These possible disadvantages are overcome when the depression is formed, as while properly flat disks are well supported by the points 3 and 1, a disk with a convex under surface will by means of such depression be allowed to drop so that its front and rear edges are in the proper positions respectively for passing out of the magazine at 10 and for engagement with the raised 'portion 9.

It will be seen that as the slide or feed finger 5 is moved. forward as described, the raised portion 9 will each time push a lid out through the opening 10, while on the return movement the pile of lids which while in the forward position rested on the raised portion 9 will drop onto the points 3 and l as soon as such slide has moved back sufficiently, so that the next one will then be ready to be fed forward.

Arranged at the point to which the lid is conveyed by means of the feed finger or slide 5 as above described, is a mechanism for inserting the lids thus separated into the cups or containers 11 to receive them. This mechanism comprises a ring or holder 12 having a slight'depression 13 formed in its upper surface of suflicient size to receive the lid, which is placed therein by the feed finger 5 at the end of its forward movement, a stop 14 being also provided to ensure that such lid shall be in the proper position. Below such depression a hole is formed through the holder slightly smaller than the lid so that the latter cannot drop through, and below this the opening widens out as at 15 for the purpose hereinafter described.

The ring or holder 12 is carried by a spindle 16 mounted so that it can slide freely in a bracket 17 carried by frame 18 to which an up and down movement is imparted by suitable means such as a rack 19 operated by a sector 20 on lever 21 acted on by a substantia1- ly heart shaped cam 22.

The frame 18 also carries a plunger or lid iuserter 23 which is of slightly smaller diameter than the opening through holder 12, and which passes through such opening in the operation of inserting the lid into the cup.

In operation, when the lid has been brought by feed linger 5 to its position over holder 12 (the forward side of which is cut away as at 21- to allow the feed finger to pass) such holder 5 first raised slightly to lift the lid from feed finger 5, and the latter is then inn'nediately withdrawn. The frame 18 with bracket 17 and lid inserter 23 then commence to descend, and when holder 12 comes in contact with the upper edge of the container 11 to which the lid is to be applied the inclined surface 15 of such holder will centre the container proper-' ly in relation to the inserter and other parts,so that the lid will not be liable to catch on the upper edge of the container. As the downward movement progresses that of the holder will be arrested by the container, and the spindle 16 will slide in the bracket 17 during the continued movement of the inscrter 23, which will come in contact with the lid and push it through the holder into the groove made to receive it in the container. The extent of this movement is adjustable, the spindle 25 carrying the inserter being screwed and provided with nuts 26, 27, by which it can be secured at any desired height. \Vhen the lid has been properly inserted the return movement of the inserter 23 begins, and as this movement progresses the bracket 17 will come in contact with the enlarged head 28 of spindle 16, and to raise the holder 12 to its original position.

For some pur )oses it may be desired to use a lid with a tab formed thereon, in which case the magazine 1 and other parts will be made to suit.

Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a disk feeding machine the combination of a bottomless magazine for the disks, a feed finger disposed below such magazine, means for reciprocating the feed finger, the feed finger being arranged to support the disk at its front and rear edges only in the direction of its line of travel, the upper surface of the finger being cut away to leave a depression between these points, and a projection being provided behind the rear point of support to engage with and eject the lowermost disk from the magazine, as set forth.

2. In a disk feeding machine the combination of a bottomless magazine for the disks, a feed finger disposed below such magazine and supporting the disks therein, means for reciprocating the feed finger, a projection on the feed finger to engage with the lowermost disk and eject it from the magazine on the forward movement of the feed linger, a vertically movable ring and means for causing same to rise to lift the disk off the feed finger,

and when the feed finger has been withdrawn to descend carrying the disk in a position ccn trally over the container into which it is to be inserted, and a plunger to force such disk down into the container, as set forth.

3. In a disk feeding machine the combination of a bottomless magazine for the disks, a feed finger disposed below such magazine and supporting the disks therein, means for reciprocating the feed finger, a projection on the feed linger to engage with the lowermost disk and eject it from the magazine on the forward movement of the feed finger, a vertically movable ring and means for causing same to rise to liftthe disk off the feed finger, and when the feed finger has been withdrawn to descend carrying the disk in a position centrally over the container into which it is to be inserted, such ring being provided with a stop to determine the position to which the disk shall be carried by the feed finger, and a plunger to force the disk down into the container, as set forth.

4. In a disk feeding machine the combination of a bottomless magazine for the disks, a feed finger disposed below such magazine and supporting the disks therein, means for reciprocating the feed finger, a projection on the feed finger to engage with the lowermost disk and eject it from the magazine on the forward movement of the feed finger, a vertically movable ring and means for causing same to rise to lift the disk off the feed finger, and when the feed finger has been withdrawn to descend carrying the disk in a position centrally over the container into which it is to be inserted, such ring being formed with an inclined centering surface on its under side to bring the container into which the disk is to be inserted into proper relation thereto, and a plunger to force such disk down into the container, as set forth.

In witness whereof I have signed this specifieation.

CYRUS TAYLOR. 

